Apparently i have a problem with sitting still. Because starting a one of a kind catering company, that includes a farm and biodiesel conversion facility, isn't enough work...i've bought and am greening a new home near downtown Raleigh. I expect it's going to be mostly about hard work and not about actual training since i don't know squat about renovation...much more than the everyday basics. I'm hoping to learn a great deal and i'm almost positive i'll learn the hard way.

I have several goals with this project and this blog. First is to make sure i'm reflecting my interest in sustainability not only through the work i do, but also during my down time at home. Second, to gain some valuable insight into what exactly makes up a green construction project and share that with the average joe. Third, and most importantly, is to convince and show you that it doesn't need to be hard or expensive (hopefully!).

Let me introduce you to my new home:

Here are the specs. It's currently 816sq ft. It has two bedrooms and one bath and was built in the early 50's. Back then, you could just buy your house from the Sears catalog and they'd come build it. Just about every house on this block of Glascock St is a Sears home and they are great fixer-uppers. The other positive thing is that they all sit on about a 1/4 acre. This all just one mile from the center of downtown Raleigh!

The Plan:
In order to make a good profit when I sell this house, and because most families need some extra space, I'll be doing around a 600sq ft. addition on the back of the house. It'll be easy to extend the back and butt a new bathroom against the existing one while also creating a great living room and master suite. This will still keep the house on the "small" side which is important because i think house size has gotten a bit out of control.

I've been investigating all sorts of green technology including geo-thermal, solar, and recycled materials for internal and external use. It's also important to make the house sellable and keep a cohesive look that's appealling to new buyers as well as the neighbors. I'm fixing up the inside and taking down a few walls to open the current space up and then getting to work on the addition. Baby steps is the key! The last thing will be the landscaping...or zero-scaping in this case.

Luckily, because of my work, i've been introduced to some of the coolest companies and subsequently their owners. Many of our clients share our passion for the environment and sustainable practice so i'm going to focus on using these friends for this project.

Step one is to make the existing part feel more like home while i continue to work on it. A fresh coat of paint usually starts everything off but this time it took more investigation. Environmentally friendly paints are NOT cheap! I looked online for good brands while also picking out some colors that wouldn't take too many coats. I ended up using the Harmony line from Sherwin Williams. Why? Cause it was $65/gal and i got it for about half off. Like i said, environmentally friendly...and cheap! Also because it contains almost no VOC and puts off practically no scent.

The great thing i've learned about this low VOC paint is that because of the lack of scent, you can work inside on cool-wet days without having to ventilate too much. It also goes on very thick and usually only takes one coat. It makes the $35 price tag a little more reasonable when you see how far it goes. One gallon did my entire living room. Here is a before and after:

I know these aren't the best pictures (because they are from my phone) but there are several important things about this repaint job. One is that blur under the word "before" is my dog. He got to stay in the house the whole time without me worrying about fumes. The second is that in a house this small, you need as much light as possible. Lighter walls equals a larger feel. No need for that 3000 sq ft. house if you feel like you have enough room in a smaller space. This all equals lower energy usage and bills. 

About The Blogger:
Daniel Whittaker is the co-owner of award winning Green Planet Catering, a Triangle area sustainable catering outfit. He currently has several projects going on (other than the house) including the startup of an organic production field of produce for GPC and a community garden in Chavis Heights. Most of the time you can find him wondering the streets of downtown Raleigh or at the dog park with his sidekick Barley.